


New Appreciations

by orphan_account



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28265415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She couldn’t help but smile. She’d never really been a die-hard christmas fan before… this. It was a nice enough time of year but certainly wasn’t the highlight of hers. However once Noah had entered her life, she’d found herself growing a new appreciation for the whole season. And now Rafael had properly joined their little family, she found herself appreciation growing all the more.She liked to believe they’d done the same for him in turn.--Liv and Rafael have a quiet moment to themselves on Christmas eve.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Kudos: 18
Collections: Barson Secret Santa 2020





	New Appreciations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TonyandJasonsGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TonyandJasonsGirl/gifts).



> My gift for @MunnDawn in the Barson Secret Santa - I hope you like this!

“Thank you,” an exceedingly soggy Rafael Barba laughed softly as he edged through the door Liv was holding open for him - careful not to make contact and risk getting her wet as well. Thunder from the storm that had snuck up on the city and caught him out on his walk home rumbled ominously outside.

Liv laughed quietly herself, careful not to wake Noah. 

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” Rafael scoffed as he peeled off his coat and scarf. “Man makes plans - god laughs.”

“So dramatic,” Liv chuckled as she shut the door behind her before turning to face him once again, smiling fondly at the sodden but cheerful figure he cut. “At least it happened at the end of the night, and you’re back now.”

“Just,” he laughed. “Eddie says hi and merry christmas, by the way.”

“That’s sweet,” Liv replied, running her fingers through his hair and grimacing sympathetically. “You have a good time in spite of the drizzle.”

“Hurricane, you mean?” Rafael drawled. “But yes. It was great.”

“He’s enjoying nursing?”

“Loves it,” he replied with a broad grin. “I’m really proud of him. 

Olivia smiled warmly and nodded, stepping forward to cup his cheek. 

“I can tell,” she said, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before stepping back. “That said,  _ you _ are going to need a nurse if you don’t get out of those clothes quickly.”

Rafael arched a brow at that. 

“Propositioning me now are you Captain Benson,” he drawled, grinning cheekily. “Not very Christmassy of you - but I can’t say I mind all that much.”

“You’re insufferable,” she scoffed, giving him a nudge in the direction of their room instead. “Go take a shower and get changed, before you catch your death. Then we can finish wrapping the presents, as per your request.”

Rafael hummed softly, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead. 

“Sounds like a plan to me,” he murmured, lips brushing the spot before stepping away. “Give me 10?”

“Of course,” Liv replied, watching him go with a shake of her head as she watched him disappear into the bedroom. 

Shaking her head she made her way to the kitchen and set about brewing two cups of hot chocolate, and cracked off a wall panel from the gingerbread house they’d made with Noah the day before. 

She couldn’t help but smile. She’d never really been a die-hard christmas fan before…  _ this.  _ It was a nice enough time of year but certainly wasn’t the highlight of hers. However once Noah had entered her life, she’d found herself growing a new appreciation for the whole season. And now Rafael had properly joined their little family, she found herself appreciation growing all the more. 

She liked to believe they’d done the same for him in turn.

She glanced up when Rafael came padding down the hall, skin pinkened by the warm water of the shower and now clad in pyjama pants and an old t-shirt. 

“Ohh, is one of those for me.”

“Nope, both mine,” Liv drawled. 

“Stingy,” Rafael scoffed, taking his cup all the same and humming appreciatively after the first sip. “So good. Almost makes up for your crusade against my coffee.”

“It’s the middle of the night and you’re going to give yourself a heart attack,” Liv scoffed as she picked up her cup and the plate of broken up gingerbread and made her way over to the living room, Rafael in tow.

“ _ So _ dramatic,” he drawled, grinning teasingly all the while. 

Liv rolled her eyes. 

“We’ve got everything prepped for tomorrow, right?” she yawned, shifting so she was facing him properly, smiling when he mirrored her. 

“Reckon so,” he said. “Food, drinks, presents bought and mostly wrapped. Noah and I cleaned this place to an inch of its life earlier.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

Rafael laughed softly and shrugged. 

“Old habits,” he said. “Abuelita would be rolling in her grave if we invited people and I didn’t clean beforehand. Or bring  _ mi hijo  _ up to help around the house for that matter.”

Liv smiled warmly and nodded. 

“Definitely fair, on both counts,” she said, reaching over and brushing her thumb over his cheek, smiling even wider when he reached up to cup her hand there. 

“Most importantly, the three of us and all the people we love are going to be here,” he said, pressing a kiss to the heel of her palm. “Couldn’t ask for more than that, could we.”

“Nope,” Liv replied, brushing her thumb over his cheek bone once again. “Definitely couldn’t.”

Pressing one last kiss to her hand he pushed off the sofa, shifting to sit on the edge instead. 

“Right, we should get these finished up so we can properly relax before tomorrow,” he said, rubbing his hand together before shooting a cheeky grin in her direction. “Race you?”

“Very mature.”

“So… that’s a yes?”

“Damn right it’s a yes,” she grinned, setting her hot chocolate down and rubbing her hands against the tops of her thighs eagerly. “I’ve got a winning streak to protect.”


End file.
